Critic ratings
vinous
2014
Rating:
94
–96
(still in tank): Distinctly wild aromas of pineapple, iodine, resiny oak and caraway seed lifted by a floral topnote. Then brooding and a bit lower-toned on the palate than the Perrières but with a texture of liquid velvet to its plush, soil-driven flavors of ripe stone fruits and smoky minerality. This youthfully musky, extremely backward wine does not currently display the sheer verve of Lafon's supernal Meursault Perrières but it boasts outstanding sweetness for the year and a wonderfully tactile, building, palate-dusting finish. This wine will need extended cellaring.
vinous
2014
Rating:
95
–97
Bright yellow. Knockout nose combines pineapple, flowers and a buttery suggestion of reduction. Offers outstanding sweetness and fullness without weight, conveying a powerful, building impression of salty dry extract. For all its richness of fruit, this wine boasts outstanding inner-mouth tension. Mounts inexorably on the aftertaste. The crop level here was a decent-for-the-vintage 30 hectoliters per hectare and Lafon told me these grapes were among the most beautiful I've ever seen.
robert_parker
2021
Rating:
93
–95
There are two and a half barrels of the 2021 Montrachet Grand Cru, a medium to full-bodied, enveloping and seamless wine redolent of pear, peach, freshly baked bread, baking spices and a subtle top note of petrol. Satiny and complete, it's deep and vibrant, concluding with a long, resonant finish.
robert_parker
2020
Rating:
96
–98
Soaring from the glass with aromas of buttered orchard fruit, honeycomb, orange oil, peach and nutmeg, the 2020 Montrachet Grand Cru is full-bodied, rich and satiny, with a layered, muscular mid-palate that's girdled by lively acids and a long, resonant finish. This is an expressive, dramatic Montrachet that can comfortably keep company with the superb 2017, 2018 and 2019 vintages.
robert_parker
2019
Rating:
96
–98
Unwinding in the glass with notes of pear, citrus oil, mandarin orange, ripe peaches, freshly baked bread and clear honey, Lafon's 2019 Montrachet Grand Cru is full-bodied, elegantly muscular and layered, with a deep and prodigiously concentrated core, striking mid-palate amplitude and a long, lip-smacking finish. In any comparison between the triumvirate of 2017, 2018, and 2019, I can see this, the youngest of the three, taking first place a decade from now.
robert_parker
2018
Rating:
96
–98
There are fully seven barrels of the 2018 Montrachet Grand Cru—one fewer than the eight produced in 1982, but considerably more than the four that have been more or less the norm over the last decade—equating to a yield of around 45 hectoliters per hectare from Lafon's 0.32-hectare parcel. Bursting with expressive aromas of orange oil, white flowers, ripe pears, warm bread and toasted almonds, it's full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a satiny-textured attack, an ample core of fruit and chalky grip on the impressively long finish.
robert_parker
2017
Rating:
96
–98
The 2017 Montrachet Grand Cru is a classic in the making, wafting from the glass with aromas of lemon oil, citrus blossom, green apple, mandarin and beeswax, subtly framed by new oak. On the palate, it's full-bodied, beautifully complete and multidimensional, with a broad, satiny attack, a deep, layered mid-palate and a pure, penetrating finish. Youthfully reserved today, its almost understated elegance conceals impressive reserved of structure and extract.
robert_parker
2015
Rating:
93
–95
The 2015 Montrachet Grand Cru amounts to a demi-muid and two barrels this year, which might not sound like much, but it's a damn lot more than the 170 kilograms eked from the 2016 vintage and due to be blended with five other equally bereft growers. This vintage has a very engaging nose: honeysuckle and jasmine, flint and a distant scent of pralines all veiled in a pleasant reduction (which seems to be Dominique Lafon's intention in recent vintages). Naturally, the palate is extremely well balanced and there is a fine bead of acidity. Its core of citrus fruit is complemented by brioche and praline, and dovetails into a light tropical vein towards the weighty (but not heavy) finish. Whilst it will doubtless be a long-term proposition, unlike the 2014 I can envisage this being broached with just 2-3 years in bottle.
robert_parker
2015
Rating:
95
–95
Tasted blind, Lafon's 2015 Montrachet Grand Cru displays incredible potential, unfurling in the glass with a classy bouquet of buttered Meyer lemons, toasted nuts, dried white flowers and mandarin oil. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, richly textural but tangy, with a deep, tight-knit core, excellent concentration and a long, pure finish. An hour later, this Montrachet was still filling out, acquiring more dimension along with subtly honeyed aromatic top notes, so I suspect my score will prove conservative.
robert_parker
2014
Rating:
98
–98
Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting, the 2014 Montrachet Grand Cru from Domaine des Comtes Lafon has a clean and fresh bouquet, perhaps just a bit too much lime for my liking, although there is mineralité tucked in just behind. The palate is fresh and saline on the entry with a superb line of acidity. There is weight and presence to this Montrachet, and it gains weight and delivers a knockout, extremely persistent finish tinged with lemon thyme and sherbet. Though a little disjointed at present, I suspect this will turn into a wonderful Montrachet with style and class. But be warned that it will require several years in bottle.
robert_parker
2014
Rating:
97
–99
The 2014 Montrachet Grand Cru has a gorgeous bouquet: very complex with scents of dried quince, citrus lemon, almond and minerals -- all set off with a very subtle reduction, à la Porusots 2014. The palate is very well balanced as you would expect, but it's the purity here that really makes the Montrachet, building in the glass to what is quite a feisty, bravura of a finish. There is a completeness and bewitching sense of harmony here, and though you feel duty-bound to analyze and intellectualize over this Montrachet, the devil inside is urging you to just drink it and enjoy its untrammeled deliciousness.
robert_parker
2013
Rating:
94
–96
The 2013 Montrachet Grand Cru from Dominique Lafon was cheekily demonstrating a “Coche-Dury”-like reduction on the nose that I must admit was very seductive, although Dominique suggested that it will disappear by the time of bottling. The palate is well balanced, tightly wound at the moment, but there are some lovely walnut and spice notes toward the fiery finish and lip-smacking salinity that urges you to take another sip. Bon vin!
robert_parker
2013
Tasted blind at the annual “Burgfest” tasting in Bouilland. The 2013 Montrachet Grand Cru was a perplexing wine of three 2013 Montrachets served blind. It was burdened with a massive reduction on the nose that renders it indecipherable as a Montrachet. The palate is likewise very reduced and is denuded a sense of precision and mineralité. I am not sure what happened here? Maybe it will take years to eat up the sulfur dioxide? I will hopefully get another chance to taste this and pray that it was a one-off bottle. However, it does make me wonder whether there is just too much sulfur here? Tasted May 2016.
robert_parker
2012
Rating:
94
–96
The 2012 Montrachet Grand Cru comes from 0.32-hectares of vine planted on the Chassagne side, which technically means it should be "Le Montrachet". It was picked on 3 October. It has a penetrating apple blossom, pear and mineral scents bouquet that needs a lot of coaxing - but it is like playing with gelignite as those aromas spontaneously explode from the glass. The palate is very complex with energetic and tense citrus fruit combined with freshly sliced lime and orange zest. It gains momentum with every passing moment and the spice-tinged finish is reminiscent of Dominique Lafon's Meursault Charmes but with greater precision. This is just divine.
I am a simmering ball of irritation sitting in Dominique Lafon's office watching the second hand chipping away at precious time. Where is he? Our rendezvous was 8.30am. Now it's past nine and I have to be at Rossignol-Trapet, essentially the other side of the world, at 10.15am. I should bolt out of the door. But I don't. I don't because this is Domaine des Comtes Lafon. They have what I call a "special pass of forgiveness" that is totally at my discretion and totally unfair. But that's just the way it is. He's probably stopped for a cigarette. Dominique Lafon appears just after 9:03am, suitably remorseful and the raffish rascal has so much charm that I have to resist playfully punching him on the arm and saying: "It was my fault for demanding such an early start." And so we immediately troop down to the cellars to taste the 2012s, starting with the reds that were depleted by one-third due to the multifarious obstacles mentioned all over this report. Dominique divulged that like everywhere else, there were tardy malo-lactic fermentations and that he had not racked the wines. At time of writing he doubts that he will do so. As for the whites, they were depleted by between one-third and one-half, in particular affecting Les Perrieres and Montrachet. Whereas usually Dominique has around 350 barrels in his care, in 2012 that number is around 170. Dominique gave me the minutiae of the harvest, which commenced on 14 September with the young vines in Clos de la Baronne and finished on 23 September in Monthelie and Montrachet. (Compare this to 2011 that began on 24 August and 2013 that began on the 25 September, two days after the 2012 was finished.) How were the wines? We don't have time. Let's bash on with the notes
Importer: Becky Wassermann Selections (Le Serbet); www.leserbet.com (see website for full list of distributors) and also through Berry Brothers & Rudd (UK)
robert_parker
2012
Rating:
98
–98
Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2012 tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Montrachet Grand Cru from Dominique Lafon is much more reduced on the nose compared to Marquis de Laguiche: waxier in style, less mineral-driven, sporting resinous scents that don't quite "sing" of Montrachet. The palate is fresh and crisp, a little shrillness on the entry with a sharp citric thread of acidity, finishing in more accomplished fashion than the nose augured with a saline aftertaste. It is quite amazing how this Montrachet magically gains more and more precision in the glass. It is a different style Montrachet to Laguiche but equally compelling.
robert_parker
2011
Rating:
93
–93
Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. The Montrachet Grand Cru 2011 from Dominique Lafon is most austere on the nose. Sure, this feels very reserved, but there is real precision and minerality that is locked in for now. The palate has a dose of bitter lemon on the entry. This is a little shrill at the moment with plenty of lime and orange zest notes. It is very well balanced but not quite as complex or as regal as its peers in this flight and there is a slight oxidative note creeping in on the finish. This does not quite match its stellar showing just after bottling, but I suspect that it simply needs time to settle.
robert_parker
2011
Rating:
93
–93
Tasted blind, the 2011 Montrachet Grand Cru has opened up since I last tasted a bottle (also blind) offering glimpses of honeysuckle and beeswax, even a hint of dried pineapple with time. It feels fresh, effervescent even. The palate is underpinned by a fine thread of acidity, and this time I did not detect any oxidative notes towards the finish, although it did come across as quite "creamy" with accentuated oakiness that suggests it deserves 3-4 more years to reach its plateau. As before, I remain cautious with my assessment. Tasted October 2016.
robert_parker
2011
Rating:
96
–96
The 2011 Montrachet Grand Cru was one of the last to be picked. There are just five barrels, minus the bottle that Dominique sequestered for his fish supper. It is understated at first, but blossoms with aeration offering apricot, hints of passion fruit, cold limestone and eventually Turkish Delight. The palate is extremely well-balanced, pure and focused with orange peel, marmalade, quince and a suggestion of white chocolate. It is extremely intense with an enormously long tail on the finish. This is utterly entrancing: a Montrachet that justifies the reputation of the name. Drink now-2030.
It was great to see Dominique Lafon three weeks after meeting him in Macon, this time back in Meursault. That semi-pornographic, licentious wine advertisement still hung on the office wall (those that have been there know what I mean) and a cigarette butt drooped from Dominique’s mouth, possibly the same one he lit when I bid him farewell back in Macon. If you added up all the charisma and charm in Bordeaux it still would amount to less than Dominique Lafon. I have tasted at this address for over a decade, but this marked the first time I had been presented his complete set of Premier Cru Meursault wines since his acquisition from Domaine Manuel with Jean-Marc Roulot. He remarked that possibly with the exception of a negociant, he is the only vigneron with all six top-tier Premier Crus south of the village. Dominique opened his full range of 2011s, including the Montrachet, which he avowed to polish off with a fish supper that night. How I would have loved to join him. Needless to say, this was an exemplary set of 2011s that do not disappoint. While like many others he concedes that 2010s have the upper hand and are likely to outlive them, he admires the 2011s for their approachability and charm.
Importer: Becky Wassermann Selections (Le Serbet); www.leserbet.com
robert_parker
2010
Rating:
95
–98
I tasted the 2010 Montrachet from all four barrels. I was amazed how well integrated the oak was in all four barrels. The Francois Freres held the flashiest wine. The Damy (Allier) was tighter and more focused, while the Damy (Vosges) was pure sensuality. Wow! But the barrel that captured the essence of the year and site with the most transparency was the Seguin Moreau (Troncais). What a dazzling, pure Montrachet. It will be very interesting to see how the barrels develop over the next year or so, and most importantly of all, how the finished blend turns out. For now, this is an immensely promising wine. Anticipated maturity: 2018+.
Dominique Lafon's 2009s are just as stunning from bottle as they were when I tasted them in cask earlier this year. Lafon is one of the most thoughtful growers in Burgundy. Along with a group of his colleagues, Lafon is among the producers who has basically re-examined every aspect of the way he makes wine in response to the problem of premature oxidation. today's wines spend more time on their lees, but that is just one of many changes that have taken place here over the last few years. Except as noted, I tasted the 2009s from bottle. The 2009 Charmes, Perrieres and Montrachet were bottled in May, 2011. I also tasted all of the 2010s from barrel. The Meursault, Clos de la Barre and Goutte d-Or weren't showing well, while the Meursault premier crus and the Montrachet were all sublime.
A Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300
robert_parker
2010
Rating:
97
–97
A sublime, seamless wine, the 2010 Montrachet impresses for its fabulous balance and sense of harmony. All the elements are in the right place. Floral aromatics meld effortlessly into highly nuanced fruit. Hints of smoke, slate and mint add complexity. Not surprisingly, the Montrachet has tightened up considerably since I tasted it from barrel last fall. The 2010 is going to require a measure of patience. Today, it is an infant, and also shows some of the effects of its recent bottling in June, 2012. Lafon’s parcels lie on the Chassagne side, but the wine itself shows more of a Puligny-like finesse. Anticipated maturity: 2016+.
(Not yet released)
Comtes Lafon’s 2010 whites are just as impressive from bottle as they were in barrel. Dominique Lafon told me the wines changed quite a bit and found their precision during fining. The 2010s at Comtes Lafon are tight and powerful, with plenty of underlying fruit and depth. The 2010s were bottled between March and early June 2012.
A Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300
robert_parker
2009
Rating:
96
–96
The 2009 Montrachet is just as glorious in bottle as it was from barrel. Layers of rich, expressive fruit caress the palate in this packed, deep wine. There is considerable power here, but the wine needs time in bottle to settle down a bit. Anticipated maturity: 2016+.
Dominique Lafon's 2009s are just as stunning from bottle as they were when I tasted them in cask earlier this year. Lafon is one of the most thoughtful growers in Burgundy. Along with a group of his colleagues, Lafon is among the producers who has basically re-examined every aspect of the way he makes wine in response to the problem of premature oxidation. today's wines spend more time on their lees, but that is just one of many changes that have taken place here over the last few years. Except as noted, I tasted the 2009s from bottle. The 2009 Charmes, Perrieres and Montrachet were bottled in May, 2011. I also tasted all of the 2010s from barrel. The Meursault, Clos de la Barre and Goutte d-Or weren't showing well, while the Meursault premier crus and the Montrachet were all sublime.
A Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300
robert_parker
2009
Rating:
94
–96
Tasted out of barrel at the Domaine. The ’09 Montrachet has a very well defined bouquet, a little taciturn at first, taking some coaxing after the more generous Meursault Perrieres, developing notes of crushed stone, dried lemon peel, almond and smoked walnut. The palate has a lovely, very pretty white peach flavoured entry with subtle fresh apricot and orange zest coming in later. Very elegant and beautifully poised on the feminine finish. Long and very attractive. Tasted January 2011.
robert_parker
2006
Rating:
97
–98
Flowers, peach, and nut oils are dramatically front and center in the Lafon 2006 Montrachet as well. Here is the one overtly creamy wine in this collection, yet it doesn’t in the least lack for ripe citrus juiciness. This lacks the sense of dynamic felt in the Perrieres, but is somehow both statuesque and at the same time ethereal and cloud-like. Suggestions of minerality here have near-sweetness, like fresh scallops or a lobster shell reduction. A virtually indelible finish suggests distilled floral essences, nut oils, ginger, and crustacean. Too bad there are a mere four barrels of this stunning elixir. The penetration of herbal distillates and citrus oil; seductively sweet gardenia florality; bittersweet nuttiness; and an astonishing combination of super-ripeness and verve, all place the 2005 in the same exalted class.
Like his neighbor Jean-Marc Roulot, Benoit Ente in Puligny, and a few others, Dominique Lafon obtained authorization to begin picking several days ahead of the official ban de vendange. He set his crew to work over the weekend, and was finished already on the 20th of September. The Perrieres, picked first, reached 13.8% alcohol, but all of the other wines weighed in at lower levels. Lafon insisted – and his wines testified – that the Chardonnay grapes were botrytis free, and he characterized the lees as excellent in quality and practiced “less settling than I did in the past.” That restraint – along with bright acids and pronounced minerality – makes for a richness that often expresses itself other than in creaminess. As these wines evolved, Lafon became increasingly enthusiastic about them, and I found them much more expressive on the eve of bottling than they had been in late 2007. Incidentally, the sickly vines in Lafon’s Desiree vineyard that have given so much bottled pleasure over the years gave their last in the beautifully refined, bittersweet, and for the vintage unusually delicate and creamy 2005. “It tastes as though the vines knew they were going to be pulled out,” was Lafon’s valediction.
A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet (various importers), fax 011-33-3-80-24-29-70; A Daniel Johnnes Selection imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY, tel. (516) 677 9300; Classic Wine Imports, Norwood, MA, tel. (781) 352 1100; Beaune Imports, Berkeley, CA, tel. (510) 559 1040
robert_parker
2004
Rating:
91
–91
Comparing the 2004 Montrachet against the 2002, the latter is clearly the superior wine. The aromatics feel a little discombobulated at first, with suggestions of TCA or sulphur reduction. But allowing the wine to breathe, my conclusion is that it displays that mulchy, herbaceous element that afflicts so many 2004 Burgundies. The palate is still quite attractive with a fine line of acidity, notes of walnut and smoke, though there is just a touch of greenness marring the finish. This is a perplexing Montrachet that feels a little out of sorts. Tasted September 2013.
robert_parker
2003
Rating:
94
–96
Perhaps the finest white Burgundy produced in 2003, Dominique Lafon’s Montrachet, would be a show-stopper in even the greatest vintages. “I couldn’t believe it, nothing affected those vines, and the yields were identical as in 2002 (30 hectoliters per hectare).” Sweet minerals ensconced in a myriad of spices are intermingled with poached pears in the aromatics of this majestic, exceptional wine. This liquid satin of a wine slithers onto the palate, expands, and unleashes waves of roasted minerals, sage, bacon, spices, pears, and buttered toast. Medium-bodied and noble, it displays an unreal finish that lingers for a minute offering additional flavors of creamed hazelnuts, hints of sweet limes, and spiced apples. It is a tour de force of terroir and winemaking! Projected maturity: 2007-2018.
Importers: Daniel Johnnes/Jeroboam Wines, New York, NY; tel. (212) 625-2505, Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel. (617) 469-5799; and Beaune Imports, Berkeley Ca; tel. (510) 841-9815
robert_parker
2002
Rating:
93
–93
Tasted at Hof van Cleve in Belgium. The Montrachet is a little closed on the nose and takes time to reveal almost its aromas of brioche, almond and coconut, a honeyed tinge developing with time. The palate is powerful but not coarse, notes of walnut and smoke at its core with hints of honeycomb towards the harmonious finish. It just needs a little more tension and focus, but still, this is a lovely wine. Tasted October 2011.
robert_parker
2002
Rating:
98
–100
Dominique Lafon is convinced that his 2002 Montrachet is the finest he has produced to date. This medium-bodied gem has an awesome aromatic profile of resin, minerals, spices, poached pears, red currants, and oak. On the palate, this wine seemingly gains in strength, coming at the taster with increasingly bold waves of white pepper-laced, sappy minerals, white fruits, and oak. Its 45+-second finish regales the mouth with additional layers of candied apples, ginger, and buttered toast. Bravo! Projected maturity: 2007-2017.
Importers: Various including Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel. (617) 731-6644, and Beaune Imports.
robert_parker
2002
Rating:
97
–97
“Not too shabby” was the turn of phrase used by the ever-understated Jasper Morris. To translate that from English to American: a superb Montrachet. It is noticeably light in color than the 2002 Perrieres, yet the nose is much more delineated and mineral-rich with a subtle marine-influence (freshly shucked oyster shells) that lend the aromatics intrigue. The palate is very well-balanced with outstanding minerality and precision. You barely notice the weight and presence in the mouth as it cruises to a sublime, orange-zest and hazelnut-tinged finish that lingers long. Not too shabby, in other words. Tasted September 2013.
robert_parker
2001
Rating:
95
–97
While not a blockbuster as it is only medium-bodied, Domaine Lafon’s 2001 Montrachet is a stunning, awe-inspiring wine. According to Lafon, “It is the best Montrachet we’ve ever made.” Spiced pears and vanilla can be found in its complex aromatics. On the palate, this oily-textured wine reveals sublime power, depth, concentration, purity, expanse, and class. Loads of spice-laden pears, candied apples, buttered toast, acacia blossoms, and well-defined minerals are detected in its flavor profile. Its sultry finish, which still bathes the palate in spices after a minute, is mind-numbing. Bravo!
Dominique Lafon is on fire, in a zone, on top of his game. He’s never made better wines, and he improves with each passing vintage.
Importers: Various including Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel: (617) 731-6644; Daniel Johnnes/Jeroboam Wines, New York, NY; (212) 625-2505; and Beaune Imports
robert_parker
2000
Rating:
93
–95
The spice and anise-scented 2000 Montrachet is a lush, medium-bodied wine. Soft layers of creamed minerals and spices can be found in its broad, soft character. It is expansive and reveals loads of underlying minerals in its persistent finish.
Importers: Various including Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel. (617) 731-6644, and Beaune Imports.
robert_parker
1999
Rating:
93
–95
Lafon's 1999 Montrachet is one of the vintage's few blockbuster. Boisterous flowers, minerals, and pears can be discerned in its explosive aromatics. Medium-bodied and impeccably delineated as well as nuanced, this rich, broad, and opulent wine is exceptionally refined. Satin-textured and loaded with stones, pears, apples, toast, hints of creme brulee and vanilla bean, this is a powerful, harmonious, elegant, and complete wine. Its majestic finish displays buttered pain grille as well as a myriad of spices. Projected maturity: 2004-2012.
Importers: Various including Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel: (617) 731-6644, and Ex Cellars, Solvang, CA; tel (805) 686-9153.
robert_parker
1998
Rating:
91
–94
Dominique Lafon's parcel of Montrachet produced his highest yields (30 hectoliters per hectare) in 1998. Four and a half barrels of this magnificent nectar were made. Harvested at 14% natural potential alcohol, it reveals pears, peaches, apricots, and flowers in its intense aromatic profile.
Medium to full-bodied, expansive, and palate-coating, this elegant, classy, and rich wine is crammed with spices, white fruits, and minerals. It has outstanding presence, detail, and focus. It is not a muscular wine, yet possesses extraordinary underlying power in its precise character. This tour de force has an extraordinarily long, delineated, and mineral-laden finish. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2012+.
Importer: Ex Cellars, Boston, MA; tel (617) 876-5105.
robert_parker
1997
Rating:
95
–97
The 1997 Montrachet It exhibits deep aromas of stones, minerals, honeysuckle blossoms, candied hazelnuts, and sweet oak spices. It is extraordinarily expansive, pure, richly textured, and superbly delineated. Akin to liquid silk, it has enormously ripe yet fresh flavors of red currants, raspberries, minerals, peaches, apricots, and poached pears that persist in the finish. It is a levitating experience to taste, one I have not yet forgotten. Bravo! Importer: Ex Cellars, Boston, MA; tel (617) 876-5105.
robert_parker
1996
Rating:
96
–99
Harvested at a whopping 14% potential natural alcohol, Lafon's mind-blowing 1996 Montrachet is brilliant. Sublime mineral, stone, smoke, and toasted nut aromatics are followed by a wondrous, concentrated, extracted, and sublimely classy personality. Oily layers of liquid minerals, red berries, anise, hazelnuts, and white flowers can be found in this massive, full-bodied, mouth-coating, and palate-saturating wine. Incredibly, just when the taster believes the palate has realized the brunt of this explosive gem's assault on the senses, it expands to even greater heights. The wine has a compellingly long finish. This is a tour de force!
The rating, with the range of scores in parentheses, indicates the wine was tasted from cask, not bottle.
Dominique Lafon performed more batonnage than usual on his 1996s, "to give them more richness," he said. However, unlike some other vignerons, Lafon abandons the practice when the malos start because he wants his wines to be protected by the carbon dioxide gas that is a by product of a wine's malo-lactic fermentation. Lafon's yields were between 35 and 45 hectoliters/hectare, demonstrating his dedication to quality in this potentially high-yielding vintage.
Importer: Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel (617) 731-6644.
robert_parker
1996
Rating:
99
–99
Medium straw colour. Incredibly complex nose displaying an exciting array of fruit, grain, nut and mineral notes: warm apricots, oatmeal, hazelnuts and chalk dust. After 30 mins in the glass the aromas keep coming including candied ginger, dried persimmon and butterscotch. The crisp, minerally palate is other-worldly, paradoxically elegant and powerful. Medium to full body, exquisitely balanced and lots of layers of fruit and nut flavours to disseminate on the very, very long finish. Oh-so-nearly perfect…maybe in a few years? Drink now to 2018+. Tasted November 2008.
robert_parker
1995
Rating:
93
–95
Dominique Lafon was faced with an interesting problem after the 1995 harvest. The low yields provided him with only enough Montrachet to fill 2 and a half casks. He considered using a half-cask and 2 regular ones but decided against it because he feels wines do not age well in small casks. His solution was to have a new cask built that would hold the equivalent of one and a half regular ones. To offset the new oak flavors of this large vessel, the second cask he is using has been used previously to make five vintages of wine. Possessing a super-tight and unyielding nose, this full-bodied Montrachet displays intense minerally fruit, and striking elegance. While not as forward or sultry as I expected, it has a superb structure. This tight wine will need 6-7 years to blossom, and will drink admirably for another 15-20.
This note is the result of tastings I did in Burgundy between January 7 and January 29. Ratings with a range of scores in parentheses indicate the wine was tasted from cask, not bottle.
Dominique Lafon, who has run this estate on his own since 1987, feels his '95s are the best set of wines he's made to date. I would ignore this kind of statement from most growers in Burgundy as they are often given to hyperbole, but Lafon walks the walk in addition to talking the talk. His reputation is such that his wines sell-out instantaneously irrespective of what critics might write. Secondly, he's not the type of man who would risk his credibility, nor is he given to immodest boasting. His '95s are outstanding wines that may have better structure than those from previous vintages, and, therefore, may age and evolve more gracefully. He has produced fatter, lusher wines in the past (the '89s for example), but, in general, cellaring hasn't improved them. I believe the '95 will be different.
Importer: Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel (617) 731-6644.
robert_parker
1994
Rating:
91
–91
On January 17, 1997, a Belgian wine merchant held a comprehensive tasting of virtually every Montrachet at the Crillon Hotel in Paris. In addition to myself, Pierre Rovani was the only other American in attendance. The group was evenly split between members of the Belgian/French wine trade and private consumers. I was permitted to insert several top California Chardonnays in the tasting as "ringers." I provided the Peter Michael Chardonnay Pointe Rouge and the 1992 Mount Eden Estate Chardonnay. The tasting was impeccably organized, with the wines served blind in multiple flights. The results, although not unbelievable to me, were shocking to the group of serious Belgian and French wine tasters. Two of the French tasters were well-known winemakers. One of them who asked to remain anonymous proclaimed that in large part, the group of Montrachets was "a crime against France's patrimony." The group overwhelmingly rated the Peter Michael Chardonnay Pointe Rouge the top wine. Several tasters recognized that it was a California wine, but they still felt it was by far the most compelling, complex, and complete wine of the tasting. Second place went to another "ringer," the Domaine Valette Pouilly-Fuisse Le Clos de Monsieur Noly Vieilles Vignes, third place was awarded to the Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne another ringer, and fourth place went to yet another "ringer," the 1992 Mount Eden Estate Chardonnay. Of the Montrachets, three producers produced wines that certainly merited outstanding ratings. The fifth place wine was the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Montrachet; sixth place went to Domaine Lafon's Montrachet; and seventh place was the Domaine Ramonet Montrachet.
My numerical ratings generally mirrored the group's, with the Peter Michael Pointe Rouge receiving 97 points, Domaine Valette Pouilly-Fuisse Clos de Monsieur Noly Vieilles Vignes, 95; Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne, 96+; Mount Eden 1992 Chardonnay Estate, 94; DRC Montrachet, 93; Domaine Lafon Montrachet, 91+; Domaine Ramonet Montrachet, 90+; and most of the other Montrachets in the mid to upper-eighties, except for the appalling Montrachets from Delagrange-Bachelet and Rene Fleurot. A tropical fruit-scented, disjointed the acidity stuck out as it does in many New World Chardonnays Robert Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de la Guiche was another underachiever. Only four of the Montrachets possessed the depth and richness or the group's top three wines. Perhaps the most remarkable conclusion of this tasting was that none of the Montrachets displayed the complexity of the group's favorite three wines. And let's not hear any whining about these Montrachets needing 5-10, perhaps 15 years of cellaring. That may be the case in vintages such as 1986 or 1995, but the Montrachets are extremely forward, low acid wines except those that appeared to have had far too much acidity added. Too many of them were diluted, disjointed, flabby, and flat compared to the non-Montrachet wines of this tasting.
Much is being made in European wine writing circles about American versus European tastes, another phony non-issue by writers who would better serve their readership by doing more tasting than pontificating. While no single tasting can be considered definitive, this particular tasting did prove that a group of French and Belgian tasters exhibited a preference for California Chardonnays. C'est la vie.
4
robert_parker
1992
Rating:
95
–97
There are 100 cases of the 1992 Le Montrachet. It will rival the great 1992 Le Montrachets produced by Domaine Leflaive, Amiot-Bonfils, and Ramonet. It possesses fabulous richness and a huge, massive feel. Impeccably well-balanced, with a sense of elegance and precision, this wine must be tasted to be believed. Given the wine's size and profound concentration, it will need 5-10 years of cellaring. It has the potential to last for 25-30 years.
Lafon rarely filters his wines. All of his 1992s are ripe, rich, precocious wines that will not have the aging potential of the superb 1989s, and excellent 1990s. Lafon, who sells only ten percent of his production to the United States, believes his 1992s are similar to the 1982s (probably the best wines of the vintage), but with more intensity and purity.
The 1992s are still in cask, hence the estimated ratings.
Importer: A Peter Vezan Selection, various importers, including Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA.
robert_parker
1991
Rating:
92
–92
The 1991 Le Montrachet is not an easy wine to evaluate. The color is significantly deeper than that of the Meursaults. There are scents of over-ripe apricots and oranges, in addition to minerals and honey. Full-bodied, high in acidity, with massive weight, but a disjointed personality, this wine looks to be magnificent, but idiosyncratic. An immensely impressive wine, it will be controversial. I would not touch a bottle for at least 5-6 more years; it will easily keep for 20-25.
Lafon's 1991s are the wines of the vintage. Modestly, Lafon says he took some unnecessary gambles by waiting out the rains and picking late, harvesting fruit that was not diluted. The results are splendidly rich, full-bodied wines with amazing intensity. They are as exceptional as the 1990s, and superior to Lafon's 1988s, 1987s, and 1986s. Average yields were 25 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 55-70 at other domaines.
Lafon rarely filters his wines. In 1991 he put most of the cuvees of white wine in the bottle with neither fining nor filtration.
Importer: A Peter Vezan Selection, various importers, including Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA.
robert_parker
1990
Rating:
93
–93
No tasting note.
Importer: A Peter Vezan Selection, various importers, including Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA.
robert_parker
1989
Rating:
96
–96
The 1989 Montrachet, of which there are about 60 cases, is closed. Lafon says it needs a minimum of 10 years of cellaring. The steely, mineral aromas of its bouquet are reminiscent of the Meursault-Perrieres. In the mouth, there is awesome concentration, surprisingly high acidity for the vintage, and exhilarating definition and length. I am not sure it will ever offer the drama and opulence of the 1989 Meursault-Charmes, or the intensity of the 1989 Meursault-Perrieres, but it is an extraordinary effort from the Comte Lafon.
Importer: Classic Wines, Brookline, MA.
vinous
2004
Rating:
93
–96
(this had been in tank three weeks and was fined ten days before I tasted it) Deeply pitched aromas of clove, iodine and charred oak, lifted by white flowers. Lush and fat but with terrific verve. The elegant side of Montrachet rather than simply big or powerful; in fact, today this comes across as less powerful than the Perrieres. Very fresh flavors of pear, iodine and flowers. Finishes supple and extremely long.
vinous
2004
Rating:
93
–96
Exotic aromas of pineapple, orange zest, iodine and menthol. Then wonderfully fat and nectar-like, with rare depth of fruit for the vintage. Boasts great richness without any heaviness. Really expands in the mouth and goes on and on on the very long, dry finish. Among the strongest 2004 samples I tasted on my most recent trip.
vinous
2005
Rating:
94
–96
(tasted from tank; 14+% alcohol) Aromas of iodine, clove, apple and minerals. Superrich, fat and sweet but a bit youthfully subdued, even musclebound today (this was moved from barrel ten days before my visit), with the fruit in the deep background. But this rock-solid wine boasts terrific acidity and palate-staining persistence. There's virtually no sign of new oak today, and yet this wine is very difficult to taste. Lafon told me this was the first time he ever picked his Montrachet later than DRC.
vinous
2005
Rating:
93
–96
Complex, brooding nose shows clove, iodine and charry oak. Hugely rich and ripe, with sweet flavors of pit fruits and spicy oak. As chewy as a solid and hard to spit. But sound acids and a piquant note of crystallized lemon peel give this huge, powerful wine plenty of verve. Incredible palate-staining finish. This could not be more different in style from the 2004 example, which is all about elegance. Due to some hail in July, which retarded ripening, these vines were picked last, and the alcohol is just over 14%. In fact, Lafon told me that he finished harvesting his Montrachet after the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti did.
vinous
2007
Rating:
95
–96
(just fined) Knockout nose combines stone fruits, iodine, vanilla and flinty minerality, with a pungent pineapple quality emerging with air. Tactile and chewy wine that's as dense as a solid yet manages to retain a lightness. This infant of a Montrachet is most impressive today on the inexorable mounting back end. This is 14% alcohol, from a crop level of just 30 hectoliters per hectare, according to Lafon.
vinous
2007
Rating:
94
–97
Superripe aromas of pear, peach, clove and smoked meat. Very ripe and highly concentrated, conveying a chewy impression of solidity. Wonderfully tactile wine, and yet there's terrific spine and verve here. Quite explosive on the mounting, utterly vibrant finish.
vinous
2009
Rating:
96
–96
The 2009 Montrachet is just as glorious in bottle as it was from barrel. Layers of rich, expressive fruit caress the palate in this packed, deep wine. There is considerable power here, but the wine needs time in bottle to settle down a bit.
vinous
2009
Rating:
95
–95
(bottled in March): Greenish yellow. Musky aromas of clove, pineapple and smoky, vanillin oak. Large-scaled, rich and sweet if youthfully closed; with so much baby fat today, the middle palate comes across as less chiseled than that of the Perrieres, which is sexier today. Turns a bit leaner on the end, finishing with terrific grip and tension. This will require considerable patience so that it can find its balance in the bottle. Lafon still ages this wine in all new oak (the Perrieres gets 40% to 50%) but told me he may cut back the percentage of new barrels soon.
vinous
2009
Rating:
95
–97
(13.8% alcohol) Very ripe nose hints at pineapple and passion fruit. The most exotic of these 2008s, in part due to the 100% new oak treatment. Wonderfully concentrated and lush wine, with an iodiney minerality serving to intensify the mid-palate flavor. I picked up an intriguing petrolly nuance. Finishes with great density and subtle sweetness and length.
vinous
2010
Rating:
93
–93
Sadly, I can’t say the same thing about Lafon’s 2010 Montrachet Grand Cru. It shows good depth and power, but is also more advanced than it should be. Again, trying to understand the ‘why’ is not easy.
vinous
2010
Rating:
97
–97
A sublime, seamless wine, the 2010 Montrachet impresses for its fabulous balance and sense of harmony. All the elements are in the right place. Floral aromatics meld effortlessly into highly nuanced fruit. Hints of smoke, slate and mint add complexity. Not surprisingly, the Montrachet has tightened up considerably since I tasted it from barrel last fall. The 2010 is going to require a measure of patience. Today, it is an infant, and also shows some of the effects of its recent bottling in June, 2012. Lafon's parcels lie on the Chassagne side, but the wine itself shows more of a Puligny-like finesse.
vinous
2010
Rating:
95
–98
I tasted the 2010 Montrachet from all four barrels. I was amazed how well integrated the oak was in all four barrels. The François Frères held the flashiest wine. The Damy (Allier) was tighter and more focused, while the Damy (Vosges) was pure sensuality. Wow! But the barrel that captured the essence of the year and site with the most transparency was the Seguin Moreau (Troncais). What a dazzling, pure Montrachet. It will be very interesting to see how the barrels develop over the next year or so, and most importantly of all, how the finished blend turns out. For now, this is an immensely promising wine.
vinous
2010
Rating:
98
–98
The 2010 Montrachet Grand Cru is a spectacular wine that fulfills all its potential. The bouquet rivets you to the spot with yellow flowers, hints of honeysuckle and petrichor, with aeration becoming a little petrol-like. The palate is brimming over with nervous energy. There is incredible depth, real thrust to this Montrachet that just lacquers the senses, yet it is only just beginning to demonstrate what it can do. Wow. Bravo Mon. Lafon. Tasted at Noble Rot's Xmas dinner.
vinous
2010
Rating:
96
–96
(bottled four days before my visit): Orange blossom, iodine and vanilla on the nose. Pure, silky and sharply delineated, if still a bit youthfully compact. This, too, boasts fully ripe, intense fruit (more soft citrus than lemon) and powerful minerality with no sign of overripeness. Most impressive today on the superb, slowly building back end, which lingers for a minute or more. Offers an uncanny blend of power and finesse. Don't even think of opening this until 2020.
vinous
2010
Rating:
95
–98
(just four barrels made; malo finished): Aromas of white peach, lemon, clove oil, iodine and charred, smoky oak. Tactile and palate-saturating, with almost painful intensity to its powerful citrus, stone and mineral flavors. Strong acidity carries the very long finish, which saturates every millimeter of the palate. This has to be one of the longest wines of the vintage at this stage.
vinous
2018
Rating:
97
–97
The 2018 Montrachet Grand Cru has a beautifully-defined bouquet. However, I had to afford my glass 10 minutes of gentle swirling to unlock the crushed stone, lemon skin and blackcurrant leaf scents. The palate is balanced with supremely well integrated oak, just the right amount of sapidity and spiciness. A very persistent finish fans out gloriously. Sophisticated and surfeit with breeding. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 white tasting.
vinous
2018
Rating:
97
–99
The 2018 Montrachet Grand Cru comprises seven barrels this year. It has a stunning, penetrating bouquet that rivets you to the spot with astonishing mineral tension and scents of wet granite, citrus lemon and grilled walnut. The beautifully balanced palate offers hints of white chocolate and almond and amazing delineation and mineralité, not to mention stunning persistence on the finish. This is a wine that makes you go "wow," or rather "WOW" – it deserves capital letters.
vinous
2019
Rating:
96
–98
There are four-and-a-half barrels – or, to be exact, three pièces and one 350-liter puncheon – of the 2019 Montrachet Grand Cru this year, compared to the usual six or seven. More significantly, Dominique Lafon told me that the 2019 is the final vintage to be raised entirely in new oak before being racked into used oak after 12 months, the 2020 being matured in 50% new and 50% used oak. This new direction is partly influenced by his son and daughter taking the first steps in directing the domaine and Lafon, to use his own words, questioning his modus operandi and trying a new approach. The tender, fragrant bouquet offers white peach and glimpses of white chocolate and saffron, displaying wonderful mineralité and precision. The harmonious palate is well balanced with fine tension and a subtle and not unwelcome creaminess to the texture. Lightly spiced, offering crushed rock and hints of tangerine, this is a beautifully composed Montrachet that lingers seductively in the mouth. Aristocratic.